Datsun Doors

[ArnZ]

The passenger door of off C-S131

# S31-000359 Way low build number for the new sereies.

[Daeron]

Carl:

 

Will do, as soon as I get to the shop armed with a good camera.

 

I haven't even had time to read through this thread thoroughly enough to get the info all soaked in. This is good knowledge to have, both for weight alteration purposes, and safety concerns.

 

-shawn

[Carl Beck]

I have noticed there is some "Half" Year differneces with the State side 76 280Z's. Personally I have cut up two of them. The early model had Door panels simular to the 75 280Z with the lock mechanisms further back on the door. Also it did not have the space saver spare tire well.

The later model 76 had doors like the 77-78's and also had the space saver tire well.

 

Here I believe it is important to distinguish between "Production Year" and "Model Year"

 

The 77 "Model Year" for the US Spec. 280Z's started Aug. 1976.

 

According to the Parts Catalog the doors changed at:

Up to HLS30 272991 used the S30 doors

From HLS30 272992 used the S31 doors

 

According To Nissan - 280Z Production:

Model Production Chassis Number

1975 Dec. 74 to July75 200002 – 270000

1976 Aug. 75 to July76 270001 – 350000

1977 Aug. 76 to July77 350001 – 420000

1978 Aug. 77 to June78 420001 - 470009

 

So we can see - maybe - that yes indeed the change over was made during the 1976 model Year.

 

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Guest rbpoweredsileighty]

Hey Arnie hows it goin? This is Steve The car is pretty much stripped down of paint and body since just 2 days of me getting the car.

[EvilC]

Any new info on doors? I would like to have this cleared up and turned into a sticky....

[Daeron]

Well, the relevant photos are posted already.. the information is there, but it needs someone to play editor and write it all up. In short, the door pictured in post 21 is the "later" door, and the earlier pictured door is the "earlier" door. the specific changeover date seems to have been mid-76 MY.

 

I will try to get a series of photographs of each door and door jamb (since we have 2 240s, a 260 racecar with no original VIN plates left on it (bummer)) a 75 280, and a 78 280. Hopefully a series of identically framed photos from the same camera on the same day will help make this make sense. If I CAN I will try to get some pics like the first ones posted, with the "wrong" door set up behind the frame of the later car.. Not sure if my dad wants to let me DO that (thats a nice car) and we don't have any "later" doors dismounted from the car at the moment, so I can't do the later door/earlier jamb comparison.

 

In short, the 1969-mid76 production cars have interchangeable doors. The Mid-76-78 cars have totally different ones. that is that, you can't change them over (without SERIOUS skills.)

[ArnZ]

Here is a door that Courtesy is selling ($999.00 starting bid) PN #80100-N3325

"Datsun 240Z, 260Z & 280Z (S30) RH Door 70-78 Coupe"

I would assume that a Z savvy dealer would clearly know that this door would be incorrect for anything other than a 240Z. Obviously this would "mount" on any S30 coupe, but would not be correct for a 260 or the two variations of 280 doors.

[EvilC]

Looks close to the door that was on the last parts car

[MatMan]

That's an early S30 (US models, of course) door. One can distinguish this door from later US market doors by the hole on the latch end, for the exterior latch mechanism. This door, while it may fit in the hole of the late 74 to 78 S30s, it WILL NOT close and stay closed.

 

Upon further inspection one will note that the door beam is rather large, leading one to conclude that this door was manufactured for the late 72 through early 74 vehicles.

[Daeron]

That's an early S30 (US models, of course) door. One can distinguish this door from later US market doors by the hole on the latch end, for the exterior latch mechanism. This door, while it may fit in the hole of the late 74 to 78 S30s, it WILL NOT close and stay closed.

 

 

WRONG, the build change date was sometime LATE in the 1976 model year!!

 

I have that EXACT door on my 75 280!!

 

The 260 and 280 doors were, indeed, subtly different from the 240 doors; the handles and armrests were altered, and if I am not mistaken the lock pull may have even been moved slightly. I know the window regulators and other window hardware (not sure on the glass itself) are not all the same between 70 and 76. BUT, the latches, the orifice in the vehicle, the seals, all are the same and the door is a straight bolt-in, AND it goes both ways, (ie, 75 280 doors on a 70 240Z, if you had to)

 

So, in a sense, 70-mid76 owners are in one junkyard part supply world, and late76-78 owners are in another junkyard part supply world, and Courtesy is not entirely wrong (although the part they have is, I would bet, a 240 door shell. I didn't look THAT closely at it.)

 

THAT is why I want, SO BADLY, to get a photo study of all these doors.. I don't have the stock ones from my 75 anymore but my uncle has many doors up in his shop, and I could (if I had time and opportunity to go a digging) post a spread of many many different years' doors.. THAT is what we need.

[ArnZ]

We need more pictures to do a thorough compilation. I have other pics of various doors, but are small or crappy.

Ideally, it would be nice to have pictures of every year and two of transitional years.

Also need 2+2 doors as well.

I have added

71 240z door

75 JDM door

76 JDM door

Exact year? NOS #80100-N3325

 

71 door

[Carl Beck]

WRONG, the build change date was sometime LATE in the 1976 model year!!

 

I have that EXACT door on my 75 280!!

{...snipped..cjb}

 

So, in a sense, 70-mid76 owners are in one junkyard part supply world, and late76-78 owners are in another junkyard part supply world,

 

See Post #23.

It would appear that the change was made EARLY in the 76 Model Year, which would have been LATE in Calendar Year 1975 {Aug}.

 

It would seem that something less than 3000 76 Model Year units were produced with the earlier type doors/latches.

 

Yes/No?

 

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Carl Beck]

Hi Guys:

I don't believe that we need a lot of pictures, so much as we need a few very good ones, all shot from the same angle and distance.

 

Graphic information such as pictures should be presented in a consistent manor, otherwise it becomes too confusing to the minds-eye. You also don't want to present toooo much information at one time.

 

First we could pin down the major difference between the door to body interface with one set of pictures. Then we could pin down smaller details with a second set of pictures.

 

Following this thread and several others over the years, it seems to me that we need to focus on one main area of the doors, that defines the various production years. That one main area seems to be the shape of the lower rear corner.

 

The outside skins on all the doors are the same shape - it's the area of the door that fits inside the body that is the most easily identifiable shape.

 

This Picture is for example / discussion only... and of course each picture would have a caption to define the year/model etc.

 

FWIW,

Carl B.

[drmiller100]

the 74 was built 1/74, small bumpers, front turn signal below bumper.

the 71 was late enough to have big rear quarter emblems, but vertical rear defroster lines.

both cars are currently stripped down to bare metal.

 

let me know what pics you want and i'll take them. 74 is getting put together, 71 is getting crushed.